During the early morning hours of October 21st, 2012, Deputies Joshua Arts, Nicholas Krings and John Cratsenburg responded to the report of a child possibly choking in the 1000 block of Fall River in Ypsilanti Township. The first Deputy to arrive, Deputy Arts, found no signs of life in fourteen (14) month old Chase Miller and immediately initiated cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Paramedics from Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) arrived and rushed the child to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Forensic examination determined that Chase died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. Additional injuries found were consistent with a child who had been physically abused.

The subsequent investigation by Jamie Stitt, Detective in Charge, supported by Detectives Mark Neumann, Everett Robbins, Craig Raisanen and Michael Babycz lead to suspect Michael Curtiss, who was babysitting Chase. Curtis admitting to using heroin on the night of the incident and to a number of abusive actions culminating in pushing Chase into a piece of furniture causing him to strike the back of his head.

Curtis pled no contest to charges of 2nd Degree Murder and 1st Degree Child Abuse in the killing of Chase Miller. On May 14th, 2013, he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison by the Honorable Donald E. Shelton, Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge.

"There are no words of comfort for a case such as this. Child abuse offends our basic values as a society and, to some degree, it makes us all victims. I’m grateful for the professionalism and compassion with which our staff responded to and investigated this heart wrenching crime. I’m proud of our Prosecutor's Office in bringing this case before the Court and assuring that justice was served.”